Machine for labeling bottles, boxes, packets, and similar articles



A. PARR Nov.

BOXES PACKETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES,

Filed Feb.11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 awn rm 27 7 7" AITM/Yiy A. PARR MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES, PACKETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Nov.

Filed Feb.11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOR/VE) Nov. 1 1927.

A. PARR MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES PACKETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb.11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 647,193 Nov. 1, 1927. A FARR MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES, PACKETS, AND SI MILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb.1l, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 u I {V s m: i c "1 MKF/VTOR 4 751%? ATTORMFY Nov. 1 1927. ,6 7,193

A. PARR MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES PACKETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Feb.ll, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES Filed Feb.11, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 l,647,1 Nov. 1, 1927. A FARR 93 MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES, PACKETS, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES Filed Fe b. 11, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 /74/-7P50 Rave/9,

Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

ALFRED FARR, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR LABELING BOTTLES, BOXES, PACKETS, AND SIMILAR, ARTICLES Application filed February 11, 1925, Serial Ito.

This invention relates to a machine for applying labels to boxes, bottles, packets and other receptacles, and of that kindgin which the boxes or other receptacles are conveyed by a band or traveller'between two labelapplying devices, one on'each side, and which pick up the labels and alternately apply same to the boxes, etc.,=said labels having an adhesive applied to them before they are presented to'the boxes.

My improved machine has the distinguishing feature that the-label carriers or labelapplying devices are of'that kind in which the labels are lifted-from piles by suction and are so held until applied tothe boxes or other receptacles when the suction or vacuum s'broken. i

Each label carrier is designed to take up and apply one label at a time, but groups of label carriers may be employed adapted either for the application of two or more labels to one article, as, for exampleftwo body labels and one neck label to a bottle, or two or more single lables to a like number of separate articles.

The label carriers are mounted on a slidable body adapted to move to and fro in a guide or frame disposed transversely over the conveyor, or track, on or along which the articles to be labeled are carried, and the said guide or frame is so mounted that it may be raised and lowered so that the label carriers may be brought into contact with the label piles at one end of their travel and into contact with the articles to -be labeled at the other end of their travel in the said guide or frame, and that they may be lifted out of contact with same when moving horizontally to and fro.

After application of the label, or labels, to an article, or articles, carried in or on the conveying mechanism the said conveying mechanism is moved forward a stage, so as to bring the labeled articles under pressing mechanism, or devices, and another article, or group of articles into position ,for labeling.

The pasting devices are carried on tables which are so mounted that they may be raised by means of levers actuated by suction devices connected with the same suction main as are the label carriers. The rise of the said table will be such as will bring the surface of the pasting rollers into contact with the under surfacesof the labels which are carried over them while pneumatically 8,503, and in Great Britain February 22, 1924.

attached to the label carriers. It will be obvious that excepting when a label is in pneumaticattachment' with the face of the label carrier, no ivacuum will beformed either in the labell carrier or in' the suction device for liftingthe tablessupporting the pasting devices, and consequently the pasting roller will never be brought into contact with the bare face of a label carrier.

-An example of my machine isshown in the accompanying drawings in which a machine having two groups of labelfcarriers, each comprising three members, is shown. I

F g. l is a frontelevationof the machine.

F g. 2 is a back view of the same'machine.

F g. 3 is a topor-planview, and

F g. 4 is anend view."

Fig. 5 is a plan of cam movements employed in the machine' i Fig. 6 shows the suction device for raising the gum tanks.

Fig. 7 shows a detail in side elevation.

Fig. 8 shows a free' wheel ratchet mechanism, the position of which is indicated by dotted lines inFig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an elevation showing eating slide.

Fig. 10 is an end view-of the same.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged transverse section on line 11--11 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged broken elevation showing the'slide in cooperative relation with the frame andyacuuin pumptube.

Fig. 13 is a rcarielevation showing-the connection of oneof the vacuum -pumps.

Fig. '14 is a similar view showing the mounting of the other vacuum pump.

' Fig. 15 is a view of another detail.

The machine shown comprises main frame 1, to the lower part oiwhich a shaft 2 driven from toothed wheels 3 and 4 is fitted. The wheel 4 is; driven in aiiy convenient manner from a motor. j

The label carriers a an and Z2 b .b are mounted on a slide 5jby means othollow stems, 5', the slide being adaptedm "reciprocate horizontally in a frame 610' which Ivertical rising and falling 'nrioveme'nt is imparted. '1

Gumi'ning rollers are shown at 7, 7 :and piles of labels at c c c and d d d. A centrally arranged endless conveyor or track is formed of the chains 8 and pressers for the-labels are seen at 9. These maybe of the kinddescribed in the specification of my others" British Patent"17,398,' of'1914', more the reciproand anparticularly with reference to Figi lfi therein. The cor veyorgfrpns over sprocket wheels 10 It will be understood that the faces of the label carriers, the label holdersand th gum ming rollers are all of appropriate relative sizes, and" that' they are all ekchangeable for others of anotl ersize;o1x sl1ape,;so that the machinecan be adapted to apply labels i various sizesi-totcoi'nesponding [boxes or Other receptaclesi-l v A1vacuum-,pim'ipl .-1L :isrconnected by tube through one endmfiithe siidefiand to the laheL ,carnierS. a a an. -A- like.p.umpi13; isconnested; byltu be 14:10. thet opposiife end of the slide, -to the labelcarriers b lab. The pump 1 1 has a branch-pipe; L5 connected-rte. barrel "1 16 in whichdsmplunger 17 Thisplunger tached to the other endof-f the platen.

Two rodsrarev employed to ensuresmoothup and down moveinent. The-connections of thesepipesare such that wheniarvacuum is created. in. the...y,linders 11, and. 13 the plunger-s are drawn into ,their barrels,v and through their levers raise the paste pots and their rollers. into, poitions to contact with labels on the carriers; only the slight movementflinecessary toeife ct -cl earance rei {if 'H'J- It will be evident, that; If, the airports on the. faces of-the carrier. are not sealedby labels a vacuum Cannot be created, and the plunger will be in operative. and the. paste rollers. will \not be raised.

The barrel of the vacuunipump 11 is carried on a lever, 19 pivoted at' 19' and actuated by a cam shown at 19 on shaft 2 in Fig. 5. A like lever 21' pivoted at 20 and operated by cam 20 is employedfor the barrel of the pump 13. The pumps are thus oper ated by moving their cylinders or barrels, the pistons remaining fixed. The operations of'the pumps are alternate.

The frame 6 iscarri'ed' on two brackets 22, 22 attached to vertical rods 23, 23 slidably mountedvin fixed brackets 24, 24. The lower ends of these rods are raised and lowered by levers operated from cams 23 on the shaft 2. i A pin 25 projects downwardly from the slide 5 and is engaged by a slotted lever 26 mounted on a vertical rod 27v mountedin brackets 28, 29 on the. frame 1. A short slotted lever 27 projectsfrom the lower end of the rod 27' and is engaged by another lever 27 actuated from the cam groove 27 and fall together, and for-that in barrel 2? inv such a manner that the rod 27 is 'given 'a rocking or turning motion and which is converted into a sliding motion of the carrier 5 thropgh the slotted lever 26. It is'iiccessary' raithe rods 27 and 23 to rise H .r s I provide a yoke 30 on the rod 23 and a collar 31 on therod 27 so that the saidyoke will lift the rod 27 when the rod 23 rises.

As previously-stated, the pump 11 is to be connected to. thelabel carriers (1 a a while the; pump- 13 is connected by the tube l kto the label carriers. 6 bi)... The respective tubes; 12 and 14 communicate with the slide by meansotpipes132 and These respective .pipes-ent-er independent longitudinal openings in the ends of the-slide, each of whiclropening-s 60 is ofa diameterv at its entrance end to just slidably receive the re spective pipes, as indicated, at 6.1 in; Fig..12. Inwardly of. the portion- 61, the openings 60- am dian'ietrically' enlarged, as 3 11 .62, to provide aspace. .63 ,Which surrounds: thev particular pilpe:32 or 34whenltheslide-hasbeen moved ,to cause the end of the pipe to enter the enlargen'ient. The enlarged portion 65 of theppening 60 communicates through a port 64 withchamber 65in an offset 660i the slide '5, and the hollow stems .5"l"eading A to the respective carriers a and b are in open communication with the respective chambers 65. The pipes 32 and 3.4 are formed with slots 67 'which, when the slide 5 has been moved to a position to arrange the slots (37 inithe restricted portion 61 of the opening 60, communication between the pumps and the carriers is..obviously cut off. When the slide is moved to the opposite direction.

communication is had between the pump and carriers to break the vacuum which holds the labels to the carriers.

A like arrangementthrough tube 3% ('On nects the pipe l' twith the carriers 6 b b.

The machine shown is ol :1 type in which the articles are carried by a conveyor under the label carriers and passed round and discharged at a lower level. 'lhe articles are seen at a: .r :1: and may, for example, be three cylindrical tins. These are passed on to thaconveyor in any convenient manner and take up their positions in front of three pusher-s 35 held together by a plate 36 and mounted on a cross har 37, theends of which are engaged by apair of levers 38, to which a short rocking movement is given by a lever 39 fixed to a shaft 40 on which the levers 38 are also fixedly mounted, see Fig. 15. The lever 39 is rocked from a grooved cam in the wheel 41 on shaft 2 and supported by a fork 42 resting over the shaft 2.

The chains 8 of the conveyor have intermittent movement imparted to them by a rack 43 engaging pinion 44 of the sprocket Wheel 10. The rack 43, see Fig. 7, is connected to a bell crank lever 45 one arm of which is rocked from a cam 47 on the shaft 2. Pawl and ratchet mechanism, Fig. 8, is provided between the pinion Mend the sprocket 10 to prevent return rotation.

WVhen the articles in a: a: are placed in the conveyor the blocks 35 are pushed forward and align the articles between clamping plates or their equivalents which will vary in design according to the tins, boxes or other articles to be labeled.

The chains 8 are shown with clamping discs 46 between which the articles are held, and are carried forward from the pushers 35 to the label carriers and from the carriers to the pressers and over the end of the conveyor. These discs are suitable for the cylindrical tins before mentioned, but would be exchanged for other kinds or devices for other articles.

For the purpose of rotating the gumming rollers 7, I provide a bevel wheel 50 on shaft 2 in mesh with a bevel pinion 51 which rotates two spur wheels 52 adapted to drive chains 53 which drive other wheels at 5% over which light chains or bands (not shown) run and drive the spindles of the said rollers.

Any suitable means for holding the labels and feedin the label tables upward may be employe In the drawings I have shown guides 55 with projections 56 adapted to engage the top of the pile of labels and pre- "cut the pile rising beyond a predetermined level. When a label carrier comes down on to the pile of labels it depresses the pile and the label holder is temporarily retained, during which the carrier rises and draws the label attached to it past the projection 56. Levers 57 are provided to release the label carriers after depression, but are not described in detail as the method of storing the labels and manipulating the label holding mechanism may be as desired and forms no part of the present invention.

That I claim is:

1. A label applying machine, including separate label carriers, suction means cooperating therewith to hold the labels on the carriers by suction, and means to operate said label carriers in alternate sequence for applying the labels to successively presented articles, the respective label carriers being arranged in groups of two or more and operated to apply a plurality of labels to a single article.

2. In a label applying machine, two separate label carriers, suction means cooperating therewith to hold the labels on the carriers by suction, means to operate said label carriers in alternate sequence to apply the labels to successively presented articles, a pasting device for the labels, and means for operating the pasting device controlled by the suction means for the label carriers.

3. In a machine for applyin labels to boxes or like receptacles, two la e1 carriers mounted for simultaneous horizontal and simultaneous vertical movement, means for introducing such movements in the label carriers, and suction means operating through the label carriers to pick up labels and apply such labels to successively presented receptacles.

4. In a label applying machine two separate label carriers, suction means cooperating therewith to hold the labels on the carriers by suction, means to operate the label carriers, a pasting device including a paste receptacle and a paste applyingroller operating therein, a rod for elevatin the paste receptacle, and means controlled y the suction means for operating the rod.

5. In a label applying machine two separate label carriers, suction means cooperating therewith to hold the labels on the carriers by suction, means to operate the label carriers, a pasting device including a paste receptacle, and a paste applying roller operating therein, a rod for elevating the paste receptacle, a barrel connected to said suction means, a plunger in the barrel, and means actuated by the plunger for actuating the rod to lift the pasting device.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALFRED PARR. 

